Opinion Archives - The Westside Story

Hong Kong protesters want autonomy, half-measures won’t send them home

Jun 16, 2019

In Hong Kong, the current bill allowing extradition to mainland China is the latest in a gradual attack on Hong Kong’s democracy and autonomy. This is why Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s move to suspend ...

While arguing there’s no evidence for a climate crisis, Trump is working hard to suppress it

West Side Story

Jun 10, 2019

Environment, Opinion, Policy

Those that believe honest disagreement is behind the Trump administration’s refusal to address climate change would be hard pressed to defend some of its recent, Orwellian moves to control information, language...

San Francisco is right to ban facial recognition technology

West Side Story

May 31, 2019

Innovation, Opinion, Policy, Science

Facial recognition technology is now facing its first official backlash, with San Francisco’s municipal ordinance banning its use by city and county agencies. It’s the first such ban in the US and arose in one ...

Thanks to vaccines, anti-vaxxers have forgotten why measles is so dangerous

West Side Story

May 21, 2019

Health, Opinion, Science

As the US faces its worst outbreak of measles since the disease was eliminated in 2000, with almost 900 cases reported, many have put the blame on the anti-vaccination misinformation that has rapidly spread acr...

Trump should stick with instincts and avoid a disastrous war with Iran

West Side Story

May 16, 2019

Opinion, Policy, Science, World

On Monday, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had reviewed plans to send as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East to address provocations or nuclear weapons development by Iran. Such ...

Pompeo’s rosy take on Arctic warming reveals the administration’s climate hypocrisy

West Side Story

May 7, 2019

Environment, Opinion, Science

For an administration that has routinely denied that climate change is anything more than a hoax, Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was quick to celebrate its effects on Monday. At a meeting of the Arctic ...

Scientists define new form of dementia that mimics Alzheimer’s

West Side Story

Apr 30, 2019

Health, Opinion, Science

A new form of dementia, which mimics the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, has been identified by clinicians and scientists, and estimated to affect as many as a quarter of people over the age of 85. They’re calling ...

Facebook’s redesign is more focused on renewing the brand than addressing privacy concerns

West Side Story

Apr 30, 2019

Business, Opinion, Science

At its annual developer conference on Tuesday, Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed off new plans to turn over a new leaf—or at least to give the impression of doing so. The company has been plagued b...

In the Missisipi Delta, the human costs of fossil fuels are hard to ignore

West Side Story

Apr 22, 2019

Environment, Opinion, Science

Despite consistent warnings from scientists on rising sea levels and extreme weather, the mainstream dialogue surrounding climate change and fossil fuel use remains focused on the idea of a future threat, rathe...

New development could bring safer, cheaper sodium-ion batteries for devices

West Side Story

Apr 21, 2019

Innovation, Opinion, Science

A new development by researchers could make solid-state batteries, which are less prone to fires and explosions, a viable alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, according to Phys.org. Furthermore, s...